Rivals
by midori hakkai
Summary: Wedding bells pealed as Hakkai and Yaone marched up the altar. As Sanzo was about to finish the ceremony, someone suddenly stood up. Everyone turned around to see who had objected. It was Gojyo. Nonyaoi.
1. Revelation

Hey everyone! This will be my second Saiyuki fic here in and yes, it's Hakkai-centric again, just like my first one! I was actually planning something involving all four of them, but then this idea just came to mind. Hope you enjoy this one. Please read and review!

DISCLAIMER: Let's just get this straight—I own Gensomaden Saiyuki ONLY when the lawyers aren't looking. Unfortunately, they always are.

Note: This is **NOT** yaoi, but a Hakkai-Yaone fic.

**Chapter One: Revelation**

The ceiling winked down on a certain man sprawled unceremoniously on a white-sheeted bed. The said man blinked back up at the ceiling, watching his own green-eyed gaze reflected right back at him. Slowly, he let out a sigh and turned to his side.

This man was dressed in what would definitely not count as nightclothes. Not that it was nighttime. He was wearing a white tuxedo, a neat black tie in between, and matching white pants. Beside him were pillows of different shapes and sizes, all white, just like the rest of the room where he was staying in. It was a cozy, spacious room; there were a couple of paintings hanging on the immaculate white walls, a balcony facing a beautifully kept Japanese garden, and a large bookcase housing a seemingly infinite number of books.

_A large bookcase housing a seemingly infinite number of books. _Exactly what Cho Hakkai is looking for.

And exactly why the said Cho Hakkai, infamous for his neatness and gentlemanly bearing, was sprawled across the bed in a not-so-gentlemanly way is quite a surprise in itself.

Hakkai rolled over in his bed and tried to sleep. Which was almost impossible considering his crisply-pressed attire. He sighed annoyingly and looked back up at the ceiling, watching, remembering the earlier events…

_Why?_

* * *

Wedding bells pealed loudly as the bride and groom slowly marched up the altar. Hakkai, in his white tuxedo, was smiling contentedly beside an equally-happy Yaone. Yaone looked pretty in her white wedding gown, adorned by small pink flowers. The flower girls continued showering rose petals all over the place, as the ring bearer took his respective place near the altar. 

Finally the bridal march ended with the couple having arrived at the front of the cathedral. The monk descended from his seat and approached the young couple.

"Don't you think they look good together, ne, Sanzo?" a loud voice drawled out from the front. Goku sat on the front seat in a white tuxedo, briskly yanking a black tie from his neck. He was looking at the monk with his innocent-looking, golden eyes.

"Please stay in your seat and be quiet during the ceremony," the blond monk said through gritted teeth. Sanzo glared at Hakkai, who smiled at him and gave him the thumbs-up.

_Why you Hakkai, if it wasn't your wedding day I would NEVER in my entire life say those words._

Sanzo tried to calm down a little and searched his brain for the next part of the scripted ceremony. The "please-stay-in-your-seat-and-be-quiet-during-the-ceremony"was part of the scripted dialogue Hakkai had prepared for Sanzo.

Hakkai chuckled softly. _I knew he'd needed that._

Sanzo cleared his throat slowly andcontinued.

"Do you, Hakkai, accept Yaone to be your lawfully-wedded wife?" Sanzo said ,mechanically, his eyes darting all over the place.

"I do," Hakkai said firmly, grasping Yaone's hand. She smiled gently at him.

"And do you, Yaone, accept Hakkai as your lawfully-wedded husband?" Sanzo continued.

"I do," she replied, returning Hakkai's smile.

"Good," Sanzo whispered to himself, "let's get this over with." He drew a deep breath and said,

"I now pronounce you, man and—"

"Wait!"

Sanzo looked up, irritated,to see who had spoken.

It was Goku. He was looking innocently at Hakkai, ignoring Sanzo's livid face. He was still tugging at his necktie hopelessly.

"Hakkai, isn't Sanzo supposed to ask who's not in favor of this wedding?" Goku asked curiously. He took out a small, green-bound booklet and searched the pages. "According to this ceremony guide, he should say it right after Yaone-san says 'I do'. "

"Anou…yes, Goku," Hakkai said, a sweat drop appearing on his head. Then he quickly turned to Sanzo and whispered, "Just do it, Sanzo. Otherwise he won't stop."

Sanzo shot a glare at Goku, who was busily scanning the other parts of the booklet. Finally Sanzo turned back to the couple, who had their heads bowed, sighed deeply, and dully began.

"Who here is not in favor of this wedding?"

Silence greeted Sanzo's words. The rest of the audience shifted in their seats. One could sense that they were eagerly anticipating the reception.

Sanzo looked at them for a moment, and seeing no one objecting, decided to continue.

"I now pronounce you man and—"

"I object!"

Sanzo's eyes snapped open as everybody quickly looked around to see who had spoken. Hakkai's head shot up at once, his green eyes showing every sign of utter bewilderment. Beside him Yaone followed suit, her grayish eyes a garbled mass of confusion.

Hakkai followed everyone's gazes and stared. He nearly shouted in surprise.

It was Gojyo. His best man. He was standing right in the middle of the hall, looking very out breath. He stared hard at Hakkai's surprised gaze then at Yaone's gray ones.

"Gojyo?"

Gojyo turned away, cringing at the sound of Hakkai's voice. It had a pained expression to it.

_How could you do this to me?_

_

* * *

To be continued…_

Author's Note: How was it? I hope it's not too bad, considering this is only my second so far here in Please review; flames are okay but please don't be too hard on me!

I haven't quite established a concrete plot for this one, so if you have any suggestions they are welcome! Thanks very much.


	2. Emotions

Hi everyone! It took me quite a while to update coz I have been thinking about how to get the plot going, plus school _always_ gets in the way.

Thanks a lot to those who reviewed! You guys made my day. And to answer UnderagedPoet's question, I did say at the onset that this fic is non-yaoi, so I think that kind of gave it away, now, didn't it?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gensomaden Saiyuki, because if I do, I would be a millionaire by now and not stuck with this Celeron computer.

**CHAPTER TWO: EMOTIONS**

_How could you do this to me?_

Hakkai's head was buzzing with these thoughts, his mind grasping, trying, to comprehend Gojyo's action. He couldn't believe it. Words failed him at this point, he who always knew what to say at the right times. His mind became oddly blank as the seconds stretched by.

Everyone around him was dead silent. No one dared speak a word before the stunned couple. A few were feeling sorry for the two of them as they stood there, staring dumbstruck at their best man. _Their dream wedding, ruined…_

Gojyo sighed deeply and took the chance to look into Hakkai's eyes, trying to find a sign of understanding, any sign that he would hear him out. The bright green eyes were clouded and showing no sign of pity.

Gojyo blinked. He couldn't have mistaken that gleam in Hakkai's eyes. It can be clearly seen, shrouded beneath a gathering mass of pain.

It looked to him like hatred.

Yaone looked sideways at Hakkai. Even she was surprised at what she saw in his eyes. Not the gentle, caring eyes that made her feel special, no; it looked to her the same eyes Cho Gono used to have…

Gojyo sighed deeply and decided to break the silence. "Hakkai…" he said slowly, warily, "hear me out."

His words fell on deaf ears. Hakkai ignored him. Instead he gazed questioningly at Gojyo, trying to figure out if this was just some joke he and Goku tried to pull. _A really cruel joke, this one…_

Gojyo, seeing his words lost in Hakkai, tried one more time. "Hakkai, _please_. Let me explain."

Yaone looked alarmed. Her gray eyes shot a warning look at Gojyo and glanced sideways at Hakkai.

Behind them Sanzo stood still, his eyes trying to study the scene unfolding in front of him. Even Goku realized that this was a personal matter and decided not to interfere. Trying to cheer everyone up in this mood was not the best thing to do at this point.

"Gojyo…why?" Hakkai said softly, quietly, his voice betraying no emotion. He lowered his gaze to the floor as his words slowly faded into thin air.

Gojyo looked up apologetically. He could see the pain behind Hakkai's eyes, those green eyes that were once so good at hiding his real emotions just seemed so useless and penetrable now.

He could sense the growing feeling of unease, hatred, and loneliness building up in the usually calm and reserved youkai. He could sense the memories of his past, his painful past, all rushing back to torment him once again…

"It's Yaone."

Hakkai looked up at him. Gojyo decisively avoided Hakkai's gaze. Hakkai quickly turned to look at Yaone who had her head bowed. He could sense that she was hiding something from him.

"Yaone?"

Hakkai said softly, astonishment echoing in every syllable. Yaone didn't look up. She tilted her head away from him, trying to hide the tears already welling up in her eyes.

"Hakkai…we tried to tell you." Gojyo said slowly. He tested the waters before daring to speak again. "Yaone and I…we were in an arranged marriage."

At once everyone turned to look at Gojyo, apparently shocked at the sudden turn of events. Yaone bowed her head even lower. Goku stopped trying to undo his necktie, and Sanzo froze, dumbstruck.

Hakkai's head shot up, his eyes quickly darting from Gojyo to Yaone and back again. "What?"

"An arranged marriage," Gojyo repeated hastily, quickly forcing the words down. "Before you met, we were already planned to be married against our will."

Hakkai's mind was confused. He could hardly think properly. "But…but…" he sputtered incoherently, words lost in thought. "Your stepmother—she hated you—how could she have…?"

"It was my parents."

Yaone finally raised her head, revealing gray eyes clouded with tears. She stared into Hakkai's eyes apologetically, her voice full of emotion and pain. "It was my parents. They forced me into that agreement with his stepmother. They wanted to get rid of us."

Hakkai tried to understand. He really did. But his mind seemed to refuse any information. _Gojyo's stepmother could have gotten him out of her life that way._

"So I had them killed," Yaone continued, tears flowing steadily now. "And Dokugakuji killed his stepmother."

"We broke off the engagement."

Hakkai was even more confused now than ever. It didn't fit. _Why would Gojyo object if the engagement was called off?_

Hakkai looked questioningly again at Gojyo. He had been quiet the entire time Yaone had been explaining.

"Gojyo?" Hakkai managed to croak out. "Then…"

Gojyo avoided Hakkai's gaze once again. This time, he thought, it's going to hurt. There was silence for a few minutes as everyone held their breaths to what they thought was the undoing of it all.

"I can't allow you to marry her."

Hakkai's eyes widened. His green eyes, once full of understanding, were now filled with anger. He didn't speak a word, daring Gojyo to explain further.

"The engagement can still be renewed. If Yaone will agree…" he faltered as his eyes shifted uneasily.

Hakkai glared at him. He understood now. Why had he taken so long just to say it plainly? It was obvious that Gojyo was trying not to break Hakkai down but he, Hakkai, was hurt just as much as if he had said it outright.

He looked sideways at Yaone and was taken aback. He was so sure Yaone will not agree to this traitor. Gojyo, his best friend, whom he thought he could trust with anything, even his _life_, betray him because of a girl? How could he?

But Yaone had a puzzled expression on her face, thinking deeply, her heart wrought with pain. She didn't realize the time would come to make this important decision. Hakkai's own heart was beating fast now. _Does this mean she's still unsure…?_

"Yaone. It all depends on you."

Yaone looked up, clearly revealing her gray eyes filled with tears. It was Sanzo who had spoken. The blond monk's face was deadly serious, and his eyes showed no emotion at all.

Yaone slowly turned around. Hakkai was looking straight at her, a pained expression on his face. He was anticipating her answer, like everybody else waiting with bated breath.

Yaone finally came to a decision. Slowly, achingly, she locked her gray eyes with Hakkai's. She was sobbing quietly. "Hakkai…" she said, tears flowing steadily down her cheeks, "gomen nasai!"

Without another word she fled, out of the cathedral, into the bright sunlight. The hem of her white gown whipped out behind her as she ran down past Gojyo, who was still standing with his head bowed, knowing he was the cause; soon her veil rushed out of sight as she turned the corner and was gone. Hakkai stood there rooted to the spot, watching his bride-to-be running out of his life.

Overwhelmed with grief, he sank down on his knees as the realization hit him. Before he knew it he was down on the ground, sputtering nonsense, trying to come back to his proper senses.

_Yaone…_

* * *

_To be continued…_

Author's Note: Poor Hakkai! I can't believe I'm doing this to him! I don't know WHY I love making fics that torture him emotionally!

It might take a while in updating; tests are next week. I'm working on another fic too so things are getting really messed up. Hope you guys understand.

Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews! The next chap will be the end of Hakkai's flashback (this _is_ a flashback, remember?) and more about Gojyo and Yaone.

But I repeat, this is a Hakkai-Yaone fic so…well, I don't want to spoil it for you! Ja ne!


	3. Reflection

Author's Notes: Finally, here's chapter three! I'm really sorry that it took a while in updating coz we just finished our exams and I was out of ideas. I might finish this story soon.

It didn't help that Animax foolishly decided to air the horribly-dubbed version of Saiyuki Reload Gunlock when it already had the subbed version of it. It just drained my creative energy.

Well then, here goes. It's a bit similar to my first fic in some ways. Hope you guys like it too. Btw, I am writing the first part of this chapter in Hakkai's PoV. The rest is third-person narration.

**DISCLAIMER:** All fanfic authors don't own Saiyuki. Period.

**CHAPTER THREE: REFLECTION**

I wake up still feeling a bit dazed. I don't know where I am, what happened, why I am in wherever I was. It didn't help that my monocle wasn't in place either; everything was just so blurry.

I get up and try to reach out for my monocle. It took me quite some time to reach the bedside table where my monocle was placed. I put it on, and it occurred to me that I was in my hotel bedroom. Everything was the same, but I felt that something had happened. Wasn't I supposed to be somewhere else?

It struck me so badly I reeled over from the shock. I curl up back in my bed and clutched the bed sheets tightly around me, trying to ward off the pain. The pillows cushioned my fall, and it became the undeserved receiver of all my anguish. I had forgotten. Yaone had left me.

The tears fell before I can control it. Darn it, stop crying. I don't want to replay this memory for the remaining years of my life. _If _there are still years in me left to live for…

I watched the immaculate whiteness of the pillows now becoming drenched in my tears. It won't stop. It won't be controlled by someone of weak mind and spirit.

My eyes are getting clouded by more tears hastening to flow down my face. The memories, which for so long had been hiding beneath my mind, gushed out to haunt me once again. No… I don't want to feel the pain I had buried for a long time. I don't want to suffer anymore…

I don't know what's happening to me now. Suddenly I found myself thrashing about my bed, shouting and crying at the same time. I can't control myself anymore. I can't keep this bottled up anymore. I need to let it out. It's building up within me, a thorn deeply embedded in my throat, wanting so badly to be released.

It hurts. It burns up everything inside me, pricking me form every angle with its scorching, pointed end. The flames flare up inside my heart, trying in vain to erase all my memories with Kanan and with Yaone. But it was no use. My stupid heart won't budge. It won't free me. It won't let go.

I figured it was the time to be released, and if my heart and spirit won't allow my past to be erased into the infinite abyss of oblivion, I will.

* * *

Goku looked up. From the hotel lobby he could see the faint silhouettes of the wedding guests conversing with Sanzo and bidding goodbye while expressing their sympathy for the crushed groom. Sanzo looked none too pleased. He seemed more than eager to wave the throng off and send them on their way home. His violent eyes were trying to send the crowd a faint but dangerous warning, but it was no use. In fact, the bridesmaid and all the ladies in the crowd were becoming attracted to them and showed no intention of leaving the exasperated monk. 

Finally he blew up. "WILL YOU PEOPLE JUST GET OUT AND LEAVE THE MAN ALONE? OR DO YOU WANT ME TO PERSONALLY KICK YOU OUT OF HERE?"

Most of the men scurried away from the infuriated monk, dragging their female relatives who were still staring dreamily at those amethyst eyes. Soon the crowd lessened, and Sanzo stomped off towards the nearest bench and lit up another cigarette.

Goku got on his feet and approached the monk. He sat down beside him and remained silent.

Sanzo stared at him, knowing exactly what the monkey was going to say. He decided to get ahead of him. "Go to the dining hall if you're hungry. Don't ask me if I know where it is; just ask the bellboy or something. Don't mess the place up. Don't go wandering off. Don't—"

"I'm not hungry, Sanzo," Goku said simply.

Sanzo started back in shock, which he immediately countered with the same bored expression. He couldn't understand what had caused the sudden change in him. He didn't even know what to say.

"I'll—I'll go check up on Hakkai," Goku said quickly, jumping on his feet. Without another word he strode off in the direction of Hakkai's room, his thoughts pounding in his head. Behind him Sanzo watched him go, knowing fully well what the saru had in mind.

* * *

Hakkai finally released the bed sheets from his tight grasp and loosened up a little. He had formed a plan in his mind, and with a determination so strong to be freed from his pain, he hurried out of the hotel, climbed on Hakuryu and drove to the outskirts of the town. 

Goku ran down the hallway, his heart thumping very fast. He could sense that something was going to happen to Hakkai. _I hope he's alright._ He jogged down the stairs and finally reached the door of Hakkai's bedroom.

He slowed down to catch his breath, all the while listening for any sound in Hakkai's room. He thought he heard a slight fluttering of cloth. Goku straightened up and knocked on Hakkai's door.

He waited. There was no response. He tried again, impatiently this time, at the same time calling out to him. "Hakkai! Are you in there? It's me, Goku! Open up, Hakkai!"

Still there was no response. Goku's heart pounded harder and faster with every second, waiting with bated breath. Finally he kicked the door open with full force, slamming it right against the wall on the opposite side. Quickly he scanned the area, his eyes lingering on the crumpled bed sheets and what were unmistakably marks of tears on the white pillows. The window was left open, the curtain fluttering against the cool night wind.

There was no Hakkai anywhere in that room. Goku slumped down slowlyon the floor, knowing this would happen. _Why didn't I arrive sooner…_

"He's gone, hasn't he?"

Sanzo stood at the doorway, peering into Hakkai's room. His eyes narrowed as he looked around the area, also noticing the twisted state of the sheets and the drenched pillow. He slowly walked towards the window and stared outside, watching the full moon illuminate the quiet town below.

"Gojyo's gone too." Goku whispered. "Are we going to find them, Sanzo?" His voice showed that he wasn't counting on it. _Sanzo doesn't care about things not related to his journey. But I do. _

"What do you think?" Sanzo replied coldly, still staring outside the window.

Goku's shoulders dropped. "No," he said, defeat etched in his quivering voice. "I didn't think you would."

Sanzo noticed the disappointment echoing in Goku's words. He couldn't bring himself to admit that he was worried about them too, he being a man of few words. But Goku had a way of breaking the ice in him and restoring him to his proper senses. Finally he sighed audibly, turned his back on the window and headed out the door.

The golden-eyed heretic watched him go. Suddenly Sanzo stopped walking and turned to face him.

"We start tomorrow."

Goku couldn't believe his ears. His eyes glowed with unmistakable happiness, and he started to straighten up from the floor. Had Sanzo really said that? The blond monk noticed the disbelief in the monkey's face and stifled an amused smile. Instead he contented himself by grabbing his harisen and whacking the wide-eyed boy at his feet.

"Stop staring like that, it gets to me."

"Itai! Sanzo! Really? You mean it? We search for them tomorrow? Like when the sun rises? Are you sure?" Goku pressed on, his golden eyes shining with joy. He was following Sanzo around like an eager pet waiting for his master. Sanzo sighed and reached for his harisen, then he thought about it and put it back again. _I have better things to do than waste my time on a saru like him._

Sanzo turned and walked off towards his room, trying to outrun Goku who was still showering him with a barrage of questions.

"Will we eat breakfast first, or will we go right away? What do you think, Sanzo? If you ask me I want to eat first, to get all the energy you know, but we could just pack some of them and eat while we're going! I want meatbuns, Sanzo, and yakisoba! How about you, Sanzo? Sanzo? Are you listening? San---itai!"

"Shut your blabbering and go to your room." Sanzo said harshly, stowing his harisen back into his spandex space.

"Alright," Goku whined, rubbing the spot where Sanzo hit him. "But we do get to eat, right?"

WHACK!

"Itai…Sanzo!"

* * *

Author's Note: And that's the end of chapter three! Hope you guys liked it, coz chapter four might take another week to post. I'll work on it tomorrow though, since we have a free day thanks to our gracious Pres. Arroyo who wisely declared tomorrow (Monday) a holiday. We suffering Filipino students salute you, Ma'am! 

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	4. Fallen

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Hope you're still reading my fic, it's been a long time since I last updated this. I barely have time to write anymore, and if I do I write mostly one-shots.

Read and review, minna-san! Arigato gozaimasu!

**CHAPTER FOUR: FALLEN**

Hakkai stepped hard on the accelerator, speeding by the majestic trees towering over the road as the pale moon, amidst the racing clouds, cast its shadow on the entire village. The wind gently swept his dark brown hair away from the eyes still glistening with tears.

Hakkai took no heed as the first drops of rain started to fall. It seemed to him as if the sky was sharing his grief that he had so deeply buried inside. He tilted his head slightly upwards as he stared at the raindrops now falling harder, soaking his already-wet garments.

He did not know where to go. Hakkai quickly hit the brakes and sat in silence. He felt like a complete fool. What was the point of sneaking out when he didn't have a purpose anyway? And to add to his already dampened feeling of misery, he had left his wallet along with his other things inside his room.

Great, he thought. Just another thing to add to my suffering.

He decided to continue driving in hopes of finding something to restore his soul to peace. The shattered fragments of his being had been carried up by the wind and blown mercilessly in all directions. The night rain continued whipping about him, obscuring his imperfect vision as he continued to plow on despite unfavorable conditions.

At last he reached a small park, lined with beautiful flowers at the side. There were long wooden benches surrounding a lovely and majestic tree at the center. All around it were cherry blossoms not in bloom from which small lamps can be seen hanging, serving to illuminate the wooden benches carved with ornate symbols. The place was deserted.

Hakkai climbed off Hakuryu and strolled down the sideways, glancing at the bloodred color of some of the flowers. Angrily he turned away from them, only to notice a flower entwined near the bloodred flower, a beautiful violet one. Beside it was a clump of small flowers, wilted and dry, its petals slowly falling into death.

Hakkai's eyes began welling up with tears again as he understood the silent messages these flowers were sending him. He walked briskly away and settled down on one of the benches, closing his eyes, feeling the soft pounding of the raindrops pelting his skin—

"I knew you'd come for me."

Hakkai's eyes snapped open. In the darkness of the rain he squinted around to see who had spoken. His eyes traveled all around the small park, and when he had seen nothing, he stood up ever so quietly and slowly walked to the source of the voice.

There it was. Behind a large clump of flowers were two figures, shrouded in the dim light. Hakkai moved in closer, careful not to make a sound.

The figures were becoming clearer now. One had long hair neatly divided into two strands; another had long hair carelessly tucked back into a small ponytail. The figure had hair with a shade as dark as the night surrounding them, as far as Hakkai could tell. He couldn't see distinct color in this situation.

"I know you wouldn't leave me, Yaone."

Hakkai froze, watching as the man who spoke placed his arm around the other's shoulders. He couldn't believe it. Yaone?

He stood there rooted to the spot. Yaone hadn't reacted at all, but she flinched as the man continued talking.

"Leaving the cathedral wasn't too hard, now, was it?" the man said, sneering. He flicked a stray strand of hair aside, and, as it caught light, Hakkai saw what was unmistakably a strand of hair the color of blood.

Hakkai felt his insides starting to burn again. _No…this couldn't be happening…_He struggled against himself, trying to prevent from unleashing a deadly shadow of his past that had been dormant for years. It seemed awake now, this Cho Gono, waiting to be released from the depths of his soul…

Hakkai dropped to his knees. The soft grass cushioned his fall, and as he lay there, trying not to writhe in pain, he heard the distinct voice of the man he had trusted all his life, sitting there with his bride-to-be…

"Leave him, Yaone."

Hakkai's eyes widened. He was shaking from head to foot, nervously anticipating her answer. Beads of sweat slowly formed on his forehead despite the cold, howling wind. Leaves were blown up into the air as the rain continued to pour down.

"I…" Yaone said, hesitation clouding her quivering voice.

Hakkai waited with bated breath. He was hardly breathing at all.

"I...I guess I will."

Hakkai ceased tobreathe. It was the final blow, the last straw, that drove out any remaining sanity left in him. He shifted his position to face the black sky, willing himself to drown in its tears. The world spun crazily around him; harsh and bitter memories echoing within the halls of his troubled mind. He closed his eyes, wanting to shut out everything, erase anything he had heard.

He sensed the two figures standing up and walking away down the deserted lane. Every step Yaone took away from him was like hundreds of flaming arrows all directed at him, piercing him at every point. The fire ignited in him, eating at his raw flesh, opening up all the past wounds and letting them bleed anew. He clenched his teeth, not wanting to surrender and let loose his old self.

Finally he found the strength to get on his feet, and staggered towards Hakuryu. Getting on the jeep, he stepped on the accelerator and zoomed past the houses into a nearby place where he knew he could be freed.

* * *

Inhis room Goku was tossing and turning in his bed. Thunder clapped loudly as it followed a crack of lightning that illuminated the dark sky. Frowning, Goku grabbed a nearby pillow and tried to muffle the noise, only to realize that it was his stomach that was keeping him awake.

"So that was it," Goku concluded, cheerfully jumping out of bed and putting on his sandals. "I think I'll get a midnight snack!"

Slowly he trudged out of the room and turned on the lights in the hallway. It was dimly illuminated by ornate lamp posts hanging on the walls. Yawning, he quickened his pace, trying to keep the noise down as much as possible.

Goku groaned. _My stomach's gonna wake everyone up. I can't let Sanzo catch me._ He ran noiselessly down the remaining stretch of floor, turned the corner, and bumped right into someone.

"Ow!" Goku moaned, falling flat on the ground. He turned his face up to see who he had bumped into, only to see the deadly flash of amethyst eyes boring into his golden ones, and a second later, an equally—if not more—crack of the almighty harisen.

"San…zo?" Goku said, surprise in his wide-eyed stare. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Sanzo retorted, ignoring Goku's question and staring off into the opposite direction.

"Well," Goku muttered, "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd get a snack or something."

"'Ch. More like eat your third dinner."

"Well…maybe something like that," Goku finished hopefully, beaming widely. "How about you, Sanzo? What were you doing out here?"

"None of your business." Sanzo lit a cigarette and leaned on the wall. He looked out the window, watching the trees swaying to the force of the wind. Raindrops pelted the smooth glass, the storm raging through the night.

"Hakkai hates rain."

Sanzo looked up. Goku had followed his gaze and was staring out the window thoughtfully as well. Sanzo decided to ignore this comment. He made to stand up and was starting to walk away when Goku spoke again.

"You know, Sanzo?"

Sanzo stopped in his tracks, not turning around. Thunder clapped overhead. The wind howled through the cracks in the windows. Goku hurried to close it; his eyes downcast. It took a few seconds' silence before Goku continued,

"This is turning into a really dramatic story, now, isn't it?"

Sanzo didn't reply. Instead, he gave out a short 'Ch' to indicate he was listening and stalked off down the hall, Goku's double-meaning words ringing in his ears…

_What will happen now?_

* * *

Goku looked up, watching the silent monk walking away to his room. He had hoped Sanzo understood his simple message. 

_To find them before it's too late._

Sighing, he trudged back to his own room, his purpose for coming out completely forgotten and ignored.

* * *

"It's too late." 

Hakkai stood on the brink of a deep ravine, watching the dark clouds quickly moving through the night sky. The wind brushed at his dark brown hair, the rain bearing down on him. Hakuryu watched from a distance, staring at his master who had lost all hope for life.

Memories flashed before Hakkai's mind. Years spent together with the rest of the Sanzo-ikkou seemed to fall short of what he had hoped for all these years—to regain his lost love, to experience the joy of being able to have someone to protect, to fulfill a promise broken in a blink of an eye. Everything was wasted, every opportunity lost, and there was no hope for redemption in the chasm he had buried himself in.

He closed his eyes, tears still shimmering, and lifted his head towards the sky, his arms outstretched, begging the rain to wash down his pain. Teetering, he dared not open his eyes as the world began to spin around him, the sounds of the rain and the wind hurtling past him beginning a melody in his light-shunned life. He felt the cold rush of wind, the sudden jerking of his limbs, as the rest of the world and all the misery it gave him faded from sight.

* * *

Author's Notes: Did I write that? I can't believe I just did that to Hakkai! Anyway, the next chapter's going to be the final one, and I know this story is too short but this is the original plot I have. I'm eager to start a new humor fic to take a breather from all the drama ones. 

I hope you won't be disappointed at what I did to Hakkai-kun. I like twists at the end, and the ironies of life will probably be present in the final installment.


	5. Sunrise

Author's Note: Sorry it took a while to update; we had our extremely difficult exams (especially Biology), a load of semestral break homework plus our computer decided it was high time to get a couple of Trojan horses and spyware. So we had to say sayonara to our files, including my draft for this fic.

Thanks to all those who reviewed, and to Rook, I appreciate your comments. It's just that this was my original plan for the flow of the story, and I guess some readers won't like the ending but that's just the way I want the story to go. Hope you guys like it anyway; thanks very much for all the reviews!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gensomaden Saiyuki. Minekura-sensei does.

**CHAPTER FIVE: SUNRISE**

_Darkness…_

Hakkai felt, all around him, something that quite resembled familiarity and at the same time, hostility and an odd twinge of fear.

The sensation was overwhelming. He couldn't find the words to describe the eeriness of his surroundings. The pitch-black air that seemed to darken his lungs was now threatening to consume his entire being.

_Alone…_

He struggled against the bonds of his own fate, wanting to break through and see the bright rays of the dawn. A cold rush of wind blew past him, and he felt himself being dragged down deeper and deeper in the dark. He tried to shout for help, but his voice faltered quickly even before it came out fully.

He was falling faster now, the freezing gust of air proving his assumption true. He clawed vainly at the rushing wind, trying to reach some kind of invisible support. But no support held him, no arm reached out for him, until finally he surrendered, closing his eyes and waiting for the worst.

_Somewhere, in this deep abyss, someone will find me…_

* * *

He gazed into the darkness lying all around him. Nothing. There was nothing in there, he thought to himself. Yet he felt a strong impulse to plunge in there and find something important to him. Something he couldn't afford to lose. 

_Or someone…_

As his eyes quickly scanned the area again, hoping to find whatever he felt was missing, he thought he saw a flash of light streak past his area.

His heart jumped. Suddenly he felt an urge to follow it, whatever it was. He ran towards it, his footsteps echoing silently in the dark, as the streak of light kept bobbing in and out of sight.

Just as he began to catch up, it disappeared. The odd feeling of pressure closing at him from all sides seemed to lessen slightly, and from a distance he heard a loud rumbling of thunder and the fierce bite of the cold air. Drops of rain began to fall down on him, slow at first, but in time growing faster until the sound drummed in his ears. He looked up in surprise. The darkness had given way to what was unmistakably a gray sky dotted with thick, gray clouds. A flash of lightning streaked from across it, illuminating his surroundings and alerting him of the present conditions.

He looked around him. The pitch-black abyss was gone. Trees, their green leaves pelted with rain, swayed majestically to the onslaught of the wind. Cracks of thunder echoed from all around. And shrouded in the falling rain was a figure standing on the brink of a cliff.

A flash of lightning illuminated the spot for a moment, and he caught a faint but distinct shade of green in the darkness.

A tingling sensation went down his entire body as he saw the figure teeter on the edge. A rush of adrenaline urged him to run forward and stop him, but it was no use. He had barely reached him when the figure finally disappeared from sight.

He stopped dead in his tracks. Tears began to cloud the bloodred eyes that never once shed a tear, as he remembered the friend that entrusted him with everything he had only to be betrayed.

* * *

He stood there for quite some time, shaking uncontrollably in the rain. He couldn't endure the guilt that had begun to swallow him up from inside. The wind continued to rage past him, with a force so fierce it seemed like it was on fire. His crimson eyes had a blank stare to it, not leaving the spot where he used to stand. 

Confusion masked the amount of pain he felt. He couldn't understand why he did it, or why he had not seen it coming. Questions, all of them unanswered, continued to drag him down. The heavy burden of explaining to Sanzo and Goku why he was gone and how burned him all up. He could just imagine the look on the saru's face, always gentle, always smiling; irritating, yes, but still, it was enough to make his day. What would he say when he found out that Hakkai was gone? How would he react if he understood that _he_ was the reason? He tried to shake it out of his head, but voices were hard to keep from echoing in your mind; making you feel guilty, twisting your conscience, and keeping you on the very brink of insanity…

He fell down to the ground and closed his eyes, willing himself to forget, even momentarily, the events of the day.

_Light…_

He tried to reach out for it, but it was just too far away…the whiteness blinded him, but he could not afford to lose it.

_Light…_

It was inching closer and closer now. Something white began to hurtle right towards him, coming right at him with full force—

"OW!"

"Wake up, kappa, Hakkai's been calling you for half an hour!" someone called out, bouncing on one of the armchairs.

"What the—Goku?" Gojyo blinked. He wrenched the white pillow from his face and looked around. He was in his hotel room, messy and dirty as he had left it.

"_Yume..._" (1)

He sighed deeply, trying not to break down from the intense relief that was sweeping his entire body.He briskly brushed away the cold sweat that was enveloping his face.

"What?" Goku asked cheerfully, bouncing higher on the chairin his tuxedo. "Can't—hear—you!"

"Nothing," Gojyo said hastily, throwing the twisted bedsheets off him. He could see that he had been mangling the poor thing in his sleep. "Where's Hakkai? What happened?"

"What—are—you—talking—about?" Goku asked, out of breath from jumping, but continuing all the same. "He's—ah, I'm tired—downstairs, with—Yaone—and—they're—just—waiting—for—you!"

"What?" Gojyo asked hurriedly. "Why?"

"The wedding, you ero kappa!" Goku said, finally climbing down the chair and attempting to loosen his tie. "It's today!"

_Right, the wedding_, Gojyo thought. _This time I won't make mistakes...I don't want to lose my friend, even if it means losing her..._

"What's taking you guys so long?" Hakkai peered in from the door, already dressed for the occasion. "Gojyo, how come you're not yet ready? It starts in fifteen minutes!"

"Oh right," Gojyo said quickly, hurrying to the bathroom to change. "I'll be there in three or less!"

"Yeah right," Goku snorted.

"What did you say, bakasaru?" Gojyo retorted, turning sharply to face Goku.

"Nothing, ero kappa!"

"Take that back!"

"Not until you do!"

"Why should I? It's true, right Hakkai?"

"Uh…minna-san, we really should get going—"

"Ow! Don't step on me, you little—"

"I wouldn't if you did—"

"Shut up or I'll shut you both up permanently."

Sanzo was at the doorway, his harisen out, glaring menacingly at the two. He was already dressed in his silk robes, a different color this time, just for the occasion. He shot a look at Hakkai. "They want you down the hall."

"Oh, right," Hakkai said. He made a move to go when he stopped and turned to his companions.

"Uh...minna?"

The three looked at him in the middle of their fight, staring at him puzzlingly.

"I just want to thank you all for being with me up to this time." he said sheepishly, not glancing up at any of them.

"Of course, Hakkai!" Goku said cheerfully, clapping him on the back. "Count on us!"

Sanzo hesitated for a moment, and turning his back on Goku and Gojyo, faced Hakkai and mumbled something incoherent that Hakkai took for a compliment of some sort.

Gojyo smiled. "Good for you," he said, trying to hide the sadness that was showing in his eyes. Hakkai smiled at him.

"Thanks." He turned around and sped down the hallway, turning a corner and vanishing from sight.

Gojyo watched him go, a smile plastered on his face; a smile that failed to reach up to his eyes.

_How could I betray you now?_

_

* * *

_

_Note: _yume- dream (1)

Author's Note: Well that's it! Sorry if it was OOC to a point; honestly, I kind of ran out of ideas and I'm still having writer's block. I do believe it wasn't my best work but please forgive me for that, I'll do better next time around!

Thanks to all who supported me even when I was drained for ideas. Special thanks to sageofloki for providing me a couple of thoughts to finish the story at last.

Hope to see you guys next time! Ja ne!

**In Nomine Domini Nostri Jesu Christi**

**In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ**

**Rivals** by **midori hakkai**.


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